the strange fox
by nanasho
Summary: a fox appears, surprising lucy. she helps it out.


don't own fairy tail!

* * *

her head pulsed. she was tired, felt like shit and, scrunching up her face in disgust,...she needed a bath or two.

the two blabbering idiots stood behind her, throwing insult after insult at the other. it was so getting on her poor nerves! she wanted to scream at them and tell them to shut up,

she wanted then she saw the red haired walking towards them.

" erza! " gasping in relief at the sight of the lady. she inwardly cursed as both the boys turned to happy 2#.

it happened so fast the saying ' in a blink of an eye ' would fit very well, the boys were the ' best of friends ' as erza liked to say it.

" lucy. " the formal lady said and lucy cringed, she was still mad. the tone of her voice was the same as always with the slightest dip in it as if to hold back a angry hiss. lucy knew the lady to well.

" I see you's have been behaving well natsu. gray. " she stated, the boys had an arm wrapped around the other's shoulder while their free hand was entwined together-inwardly giggling at it. for someone like erza, serious and very observant she wasn't when it came to those two. they were sweating buckets and if she was sure they would be glaring daggers of fire and ice at the other.

rubbing her head as a headache could be felt, she moved towards the door, the boys at her heels- she rolled her eyes, probably to get away from erza.

as she passed through the door she didn't make it two steps before a cry was heard.

snapping her head down the path she saw someone but it wasn't the person she heard crying but the animal the person was hitting.

her steps picked up pace before she was standing next to the man, who stepped up back at the unexpected blow to the head.

" what the he- " the guy was saying but lucy cut him off with her furious growl.

_" how. dare. you! " _her usual bright brown eyes covered with rage. she glared daggers at the man.

" how can you stick up for that little thief!? he stole my sausages! " he yelled back, but it didn't sway her what so ever.

her mouth snapped shut, she glanced at the animal- what she could see was a fox with nine tails. strange, she filed that bit of information for later and_ focused back on the man._

" here. I'll pay for them. " shipping out a few coins, she eld herself back from throwing them at his face, and gave them to the the man, he glared at the little fellow behind her.

she noticed the oddly angled leg and knew it was broken. the guy made to step towards the little person but she stood in his way.

" you have any more problems sir? " she glared the man down, he gave one last distasteful look at the animal, before he spat " no, their's no problem with the little theif " and walked away.

lucy didn't stop staring at the guy even when he was gone out of sight, with little daggers. but a small whimper was heard brought back to what she had momentarily forgotten was there.

gasping, she turned around, anger fading at the sight.

the fur around it's leg was covered with red, she crouched a short distance away, " hey, it's alright no one's here to hurt you, everything's alright. except maybe that leg of yours. " bright blue slightly pained eyes watched her, she raised her hands in surrender. shifting slightly forward to come closer to it.

" you'll be alright. " she said frowning at the wound on it's fur.

_' are you sure? ' _she heard a little voice say, fanatically she searched her surroundings in wonder.

a whimpered brought her back to the little guy, hesitantly she reached out, muttering a quiet_ ' yeah. ' _but as she got nearer the little creature, to hersurprise, shifted his head to place it just under her out stretched palm. she stroked it's soft fur. wondering how a human could be so cruel to an animal. she hated humans like that, they disgusted her. making her as a human feel put out because she was a human.

" come on. " she said, moving with caution in case the little guy, changed his mind and snapped back his jaw. but still the little guy, just let her pick him up. wondering how such a creature could forgive her kind so fast after that beating it was receiving. her blood was boiling, but a few quick deep, very deep breaths worked wonders for her pounding blood.

as she turned, her eyes widened slightly. her friends stood behind her, arms crossed over their chest, grins in place( except erza, only have a sight smile). erza stepped forward until she was only a meter away from her, being very cautions not to step to close, the little guy was growling.

" you have come a long way lucy. " she says, no anger in her tone but something...she didn't know what, but she ducked her head and looked at the guy in her arms. embarrassment burning her cheeks red.

a smack to her shoulder had her stumbling forward, almost dropping the fox in her arms. she turns and glares death at the person, who had the decency to at least look a bit guilty. a hand rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous manner, she had gotten to know quiet well.

death shifted to daggers, " Natsu! " she growled at her pink headed teammate, by god sometimes he was great but then the next he'd go ahead and do something stupid.

a gulp, " er...sorry lucy. you know your scary like some huge monster right? " a vein pulsed on her head, wanting nothing more than to give him a good o'l smack, but no. she looked back down as a slither of red liquid rushed down her pale arm.

" shit. " she curses before she turned to gray, " freeze his leg. " a sharp quick order, she didn't notice the slight straightening of his stance, to alarmed for the animal in her arms to care.

in a instant the wounded leg was encased in the ice as hard as steel but as light as if it weighed next to nothing. it slowly trickled red turning the ice red.

a whimper,_ ' please don't leave me here. ' _it said, the sound of a frightened little boy.

" okay " she was smart to know that the voice whispering into her brain was in-fact the little guy in her arms.

" lets get you back to the guild, can you bare with the pain for a bit? " she asked, a slight shift of it's head and she knew it was confirmation.

as they walk, the three of her friends talk animatedly , well two with erza just adding her small notes

she looks down, " you can speak? " she questions.

it's blue eyes look up at her, staring into her deep brown eyes_, ' y-yeah. please don't tell anyone. '_ she nodded, giving a nod with a gentle smile. " don't worry, I won't. "

_' your lucy right? ' _surprised at the question, she nodded, " how'd you know? " she questioned.

_' hmmmm...I really can't remember who told me. I'm sorry. ' _he says, looking down instead of at her, she shakes her head. " nah, it's alright, I was wondering why you trust me so much? " she whispered under her breath, making sure to keep low so not to be overheard by natsu and his dragon hearing abilities.

_' I honestly can't remember that either, for some reason I can't remember who told me all this, just that her voice was soft too. ' _with a frown she wondered who the lady was. but shook her head at the question.

after a while they fell into a comfortable silence. " you know your a very brave little fellah for having to stand the pain in your leg for so long." she gently says, giving the fox a pat.

_' I uuhhh thank you but I'm used to it. " _frowning at that, she filed it away as well for later investigation.

" oh! ", the little guy jumps slightly at it, " my bad, I didn't ask your name_. " _she smiles,_ "_ the names lucy, what's yours?_ "_ she re-introduces herself.

_' oh! um my name is naruto. ' _he says, ' _I'm a nine-tailed fox, son of the kyuubi. ' _


End file.
